Sandy Was Around This Time
It’s late October…a beautiful time of year in NYC.
It’s also the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy: a storm that changed people’s lives and altered the way NYC is being (re)built.
Photo: Christos Pathiakis, Getty Images
Photo: Anthony DelMundo, NY Daily News
Now, 14 years later, many big projects initiated after Sandy have been done, or just finishing (example: the “big u” resilience parks around lower Manhattan).
Projects like these - big and small - show there are some “wins” in places; the city has made investments and continues to work on this.
But this year we had a summer of multiple flood warnings. Mayor Mamdani said in his first 10 months, seems like every 3rd day was a flash flood emergency. The current and recent DEP commissioners admit they cannot keep up with rate of water.
So 14 years after Sandy, it shows NYC is STILL trying to adjust on how to live with more water, from the coast but also increasingly from the sky and cloudbursts.
We all need help adapting and finding solutions that we can actually do in our place and our community. Here are some ways to help you and your neighbors…
Flood Solutions Fair: Wed Oct 28
What started in Brooklyn has gone to Queens and now the Bronx (history).
Wed Oct 28, 6-8pm, Castle Hill Bronx YMCA
Free event open to anyone (pls share with your friends in Bronx)
Help with plumbing, planting, downspouts, drains, waterproofing basements, insurance, city assessments, state funding, policy
Ask questions of experts…come for 15 min or 2 hours
Flood Solutions Fair: talk to expert and get free advice
Catch Basin Clean: Sun Oct 25
Catch basins get covered and contribute to neighborhood flooding. Let’s do something about it. In honor of Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, a civic leader and the new fellowship in his name from Rebuild By Design. Sunday mid-day Oct 25. Tools provided.
Chat with NYC Chief Climate Officer: Mon Oct 25
Big city projects. Trucks to clean catch-basins. Sewer upgrades. Basketball courts that hold stormwater. Green infrastructure in lots of places…even on a bus stop. A lot has been done (some of which you may not know about), but there is still more to do.
Join us for a candid online chat with Louise Yeung, NYC Chief Climate Officer and other experts to discuss: “Climate Wins Within Reach: What Can Mayor Mamdani Do For NYC Now?” Monday Oct 26, 12-1, online.
This is part of an ongoing webinar series on “Affordability and Climate in NYC” hosted by Rebuild By Design, Waterfront Alliance, The City Sponge with support from Con Edison. For highlights on prior topics and discussions click here.
Flood Planning Tools: Mon Oct 26
Provide feedback on the development of flood planning tools to support NYC residents and planners. Your input will help shape what they become to accelerate mitigation strategies, hosted by Waterfront Alliance and NY Climate Exchange. Monday evening Oct 26 at Averne Nature Preserve in Rockaways.
New Map: Add Your Flood Story
Rebuild By Design has launched a unique way to see and add flooding stories around NYC. Called the “Rainproof NYC Flood Map.” It documents where New Yorkers experience flooding, adding community knowledge to official flood data.
What’s cool about it:
You can zoom into your area and see official flood data but also what others have reported (the flood zones are expanding and need to be captured).
Pulls together 311 reports and FloodNet sensors on street flooding, catch-basin issues, sewer-backup, even green infrastructure.
Add your photos, stories (can be anonymous).
A new great way to capture lived experiences with flooding across NYC.
Like what you seeing here, or have ideas on what we should write about? Email us
Thanks for reading to the bottom! 😅
